Ten Takes on the July 2013 signing period

July 2013 — the first real chance for Oilers GM Craig MacTavish to make his mark — has come and gone and most Oilers fans have been left wanting more, especially at least one more tough checking centre or winger.

Like most fans who obsess way too much on the Oilers — and there are about 100,000 of us out there — I’ve come to a number of conclusions and observations about what the Oilers have done this July.

Here are my ten takes:

1. In the summer of 2006, Oilers GM Kevin Lowe signed up a Euro league veteran to bolster his defence group. That player, Jan Hejda, a 28-year-old, 6-foot, 3-inch, 220 pound stalwart of the KHL and the Czech league, played well for the Oilers, but never won enough favour with MacTavish, then the team’s coach, to stick.

Too bad for the Oilers. Hejda went on to become a strong defensive d-man in Columbus and Colorado.

I wonder if Hejda’s NHL development has stuck in MacTavish’s head, because he’s now brought over two veteran d-men from the KHL, 29-year-old Denis Grebeshkov and 27-year-old Anton Belov. The massive Below, touted as one of the best d-men in the KHL last season, looks Hejda-like. If he can be a Hejda, the team’s defensive depth and prowess is much less of an issue.

2. With his pursuit of Corey Schneider, MacTavish sent a clear message to Devan Dubnyk that he’s not getting the job done well enough, that the Oilers are looking for more. Dubnyk has shown enough to make me OK with MacTavish not picking up Schneider or some other number one goalie, but I’m glad that message was sent. Dubnyk needs to have a big year for the Oilers to win.

3. The Oilers fan bloggers, as sharp-eyed a group of amateur analytics eagles as you’ll find, are hopeful heading into 2013-14, partly because there’s a growing consensus that Ralph Krueger’s system play was so weak it caused much of the poor play of the 2013 season.

I’m in that camp as well. I hope we’re all correct, because otherwise this team is over-rated and going nowhere fast.

Magnus Paajarvi (Norm Hall/Getty Images)

4. Experiencing a bit of buyer’s remorse on the David Perron for Magnus Paajarvi trade?

It’s not entirely rational, but I am.

The Perron trade was met with widely positive reviews, including from me, but deep down I just don’t trust the Oilers pro scouts, not after the Patrick O’Sullivan, Kurtis Foster, Eric Belanger, Ben Eager, etc. fiascos.

Have they really nailed it with Perron? I’ll have to see it before I believe it.

Paajarvi’s size, speed and defensive acumen also make me wonder if he wasn’t a better fit for the Oilers, who don’t lack for scorers like Perron.

5. Some folks are outraged at the thought of the Oilers trying to sign up Justin Schultz long-term right now. I wonder if they’re the same folks who applauded handing an aging vet, Andrew Ference, a four year deal?

Me, I’d rather see a player get a long term deal heading into his peak years, rather than out of his peak years.

6. The Oilers are talking up Sam Gagner as a character player, which is fine, but it’s not his character I’m worried about, it’s his defensive fundamentals, his instincts about consistently playing on the right side of the puck in the defensive zone.

It’s hard to change those deeply ingrained habits, but I’m encouraged by the work Dallas Eakins did with Nazem Kadri in Toronto.

If Gagner can become a solid enough defence centre to hold his own against tougher competition, that is a huge part of the puzzle for the Oilers.

7. Jesse Joensuu? Jesse JoensWho?

Again, my skepticism of the Oilers procurement department kicks in.

Will this big Finn be better than Lennart Petrell or Teemu Hartikainen? Given the lack of depth on the wing, the Oilers need him to be better than those two.

8. Craig MacTavish did a great job in building up the Oilers d-man depth by bringing in Belov, Grebeshkov and Ference. For years, this team has been absolutely killed by having third pairing guys who get slaughtered, players like Jason Strudwick, Taylor Chorney and an injured Sheldon Souray in 2009-10, Strudwick, Kurtis Foster and Jim Vandermeer in 2010-11, Colt Teubert, Cam Barker and Theo Peckham in 2011-12, and Ryan Whitney in 2013.

What will the team be like without those one or two or three d-men leaking scoring chances and goals against? I hope we find out in 2013-14.

9. Mark Fistric didn’t get killed on defence, but his individual scoring chances plus-minus was weak in 2013. Tough players are usefulplayers, but you’ve got to play hockey well to help a team. Fistric has trouble moving the puck at an NHL level. I’m OK with Fistric moving on and not surprised to see other teams not exactly beating down the door to sign him.

Whatever the Oilers did or didn’t do, this team will rise on the fortunes of these five young stars. No wonder that all but the crabbiest Oilers fan feels some optimism about the coming season. And if MacTavish can bring in a few more tough, checking forwards, even the crabbiest might come on board.

We encourage all readers to share their views on our articles and blog posts. We are committed to maintaining a lively but civil forum for discussion, so we ask you to avoid personal attacks, and please keep your comments relevant and respectful. If you encounter a comment that is abusive, click the “X” in the upper right corner of the comment box to report spam or abuse. We are using Facebook commenting. Visit our FAQ page for more information.